The Tall Man
by IrishGirl07
Summary: Cassie Evans was scared of the woods ever since she was a little girl. With the help of her friends Ashleigh and Maria, and her crush William, she conquers her fears. But the result is deadly.


**Author's Note:**_I had to do a short story for my Creative Writing class, and this plot got stuck in my head for the longest time, so I decided to write it for a grade. I did pretty well on it, but I just wanted to hear what others have to say about it. Please read and leave me a review letting me know what you think of it._

_**The Tall Man**_

Cassie Evans stared out the passenger-side window at the passing houses as her and her friends made the hour-long journey to the forest outside of town. Her stomach turned at the thought of going back into the woods. She hadn't been in there since she was a child and for good reason too. Her past flashed in front of her eyes as the buildings grew scarce.

* * *

Eight-year-old Cassidy stared up in awe at the swing set her father had spent weeks putting together for her as a late birthday gift. He stood next to it, smiling at his only daughter.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I love it!" she shrieked, running into his arms.

"I hope so," he laughed, giving her a quick hug before she escaped his arms and climbed up the ladder to the slide.

His cell phone rang from his side pocket and he answered it quickly. He stepped off to the side, talking to his boss. Cassidy slid down and bolted over to the swings. She sat down in the seat of one, facing the woods. She could see the sun setting off in the distance, turning the sky a soft indigo color. From her right came a loud rustle and she turned to look at the source. There, among the trees, she caught the sight of a tall-looking creature.

It was a giant compared to the biggest oak tree in their backyard, but thin as a rail. It was dressed in what looked to be a formal suit. The one thing that shocked the small girl most of all was the fact that it had no face. The creature started walking towards her hesitantly, as if debating whether she was going to run or not.

Her father turned around, finished with his call, and yelled, "Cassidy!"

The girl jumped off the swing just as the creature swept a hand down, making a grab for her. She ran to her father's side, narrowly escaping the creature's grasp. Her father drew his gun from his holster and aimed, firing one bullet. The creature hissed and dodged back into the woods.

"Cassidy, stay here," her father ordered as he took off after the creature.

Her heart twisted in her chest as she remembered that day. It was suppose to be a happy occasion. Instead, it was the worst day of her life, and her mother's.

* * *

"Everything okay?" William asked, his voice filled with concern.

"Hm?" Snapping out of her trance, she looked over and saw him watching her carefully as they sat at a stoplight on the edge of town.

"You're crying," he wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb before she turned her face away from him.

Cassie quickly dried her eyes with the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She had never told anyone, not even her closest friends, the real reason why she was so scared of the woods. She had just made up some excuse of being afraid of the dark.

"I'm fine," she muttered.

"You don't have to lie to me, Cassie," his voice was soft as he drove at the sight of the green light.

Cassie looked over at him, wanting to apologize, to tell him the real reason she was so afraid, but she just couldn't find it in her to do it. She just sat back in her seat for the rest of the drive.

* * *

She stared into the forest in front of her as the car pulled into a parking spot in the camp grounds. The sun was barely visible, peering slightly through the trees.

"You ready?" William spoke.

"This was a bad idea," Cassie pushed a hand through her brown curls.

"Come on, Cassie", Maria's voice snapped from the backseat. "We're already here. Let's just do this and we can leave."

"Maria," Ashleigh scolded softly. "Don't push her. If she doesn't want to do it, then she doesn't have to."

"She has a point, Ashleigh", William looked at her and then at Cassie. "We'll be with you the entire time. Okay?"

Cassie nodded, and opened the door, the others following suit. She shut the car door and leaned against it, staring warily at the woods. Behind her, she heard William rustling stuff in his trunk, pulling out two small blankets and handing them to Maria and Ashleigh in place of jackets they'd forgotten to bring. William heaved a bookbag onto his shoulder, and slammed the trunk. Cassie jumped and looked back at him.

"Everyone ready?" Everyone nodded, and he clapped his hands. "Good. Let's go."

* * *

Leaves crackled and crunched under their feet, a cool breeze sweeping around them. Cassie really didn't want to be here. She wished that she'd just stayed home and forgotten all about this stupid idea. She had this strange feeling that nothing was going to be the same if she went through with this.

They soon arrived to a campfire site, two logs sitting across from one another. Ashleigh and Maria took their seats on one of the logs, and Cassie sat by herself at the other. William gathered up random sticks and tossed them onto a pile of ashes, lighting a few dry leaves with a lighter from his pocket and tossing them onto the sticks.

"Finally, some heat," Ashleigh smiled, the fire growing.

Maria watched Cassie's eyes looking around her, as if making sure nothing was watching her.

"Something tells me you're afraid of something other than the dark," Maria said, causing Cassie to look at her.

"What makes you think that?" She jumped at the sound of a branch snapping, the 'hoot' of an owl quickly following it.

"That," her friend pointed out. "The way you're always freaking out about everything."

"I don't," Cassie snapped.

"You do, actually," Ashleigh came back from the car, wrapped in a large comforter. Cassie shot her an angry glance. "Sorry, but it's true."

"What are you really afraid of?" Maria asked, leaning slightly towards the fire and warming her hands.

Cassie sighed. It was now or never. "If I tell you, will you promise me that it won't leave our group?" All three of them nodded. "I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm afraid of what's hiding in it."

"Meaning?" William asked.

"You guys know who Slenderman is, right?" she looked down at her hands, as if embarrassed.

"Yeah," Maria replied.

"Well, I saw him. When I was younger."

"You do realize he's not real, right?"

"I know what I saw, Maria."

"What'd he do to you?" William asked.

"He took my dad," her voice broke. "He was going to take me, but Dad stopped him. He tried to shoot him, but...it didn't work. He chased him into the woods behind our house. I didn't see him again after that."

"Cassie, I'm sorry you lost your dad," Maria sighed. "But there's no way it took him. Slenderman doesn't exist."

"I've had so many people tell me I'm crazy, but I know what I saw," she said again, tears in her eyes.

William got up from beside the two girls and sat beside Cassie, wrapping an arm around her.

"We'll help you, Cass," he hugged her to him.

"Wait, you're telling me we're gonna sit out here all night, just to prove to her that it isn't real?" Maria eyes were full of annoyance.

"It won't be that bad, Ria", William turned on his infamous charming smile, and the annoyance faded.

"Fine," she sighed, defeated.

"I'm gonna get some more wood," William stood up and stretched. "Are you three gonna be alright until I get back?"

"You mean, you're going to leave us out here?" Cassie's voice shook. "Alone?"

"I won't be a minute," he assured her.

"Plus, you have us," Ashleigh grinned. "We won't leave you."

"Okay," Cassie nodded, wearing a worried expression. "Hurry back."

"I will, Cass."

She watched him disappear into the darkness, fear clutching at her stomach. She heard a branch snap from behind Ashleigh, causing goosebumps to break out along her skin. Her eyes were fixed on a tree behind her friend that she was sure wasn't really a tree. Just the way it stood still as a breeze blew around it, moving the ones around it. That particular one unnerved her. All of a sudden, a sharp pain shot through her head, and she gasped, raising her hand to rub at her forehead.

"Something wrong?" Ashleigh asked.

Cassie looked at her and then back to the tree, which was now moving with the wind.

"No," Cassie shook her head. "It's nothing."

Minutes ticked by as she waited for William to return, her eyes still locked on the tree. Maria and Ashleigh were talking about something, but Cassie tuned it out. She wasn't really up to conversing with the others. She was too worried about him to concentrate on anything else. She still couldn't believe he volunteered to walk back to the car in the darkness without any source of light to get some stupid sticks. He walked back into the soft glow of the campfire, relief flooding her.

They waited as the sun went down and the darkness covered them before they went on their hike to disprove Cassie's fears. William smothered the flames and led the group deeper into the forest. Cassie walked close behind him, looking from side to side. Maria glared at Cassie, muttering under her breath.

"Nothing's going to happen to us, right?" Ashleigh asked her.

"Of course not, Ash," Maria scoffed. "Don't be silly."

The group walked on a little further, silence surrounding them. The only sounds that could be heard were the occasional fluttering of wings or scampering of tiny feet.

"This is ridiculous," Maria muttered under her breath as she walked behind Cassie and William, clutching the blanket tighter around her. "I'm cold and I want to go home. Don't you?"

Ashleigh had been eerily quiet for a while, which was strange. She was usually making jokes about random things, but now. It was like she wasn't even there. Maria turned around to look behind her and her heart dropped. Ashleigh was no longer behind her.

"Guys," Maria spoke, Cassie and William stopping in their tracks. "Ash's gone."

"What?" Cassie's face paled. "Weren't you watching her?"

"Well, excuse me, but I'm not her mother. I'm pretty sure she is pretty capable of taking care of herself."

"Obviously not," William snapped. "When did you see her last?"

"She wanted to walk behind me after the whole 'I think I saw it' incident," Maria shrugged. "I think that was the last time. I thought she was just being quiet. I turned around and she was gone."

"It got her," Cassie whispered, looking up at William.

"Okay, you know what? This whole thing is stupid," Maria threw her hands up in defeat. "She's probably just playing a joke on us. I bet she's waiting for us at the car right now."

"Do you even know which way the car is in?" William asked, crossing his arms.

"Not really," Maria looked around.

"Exactly, Ashleigh's bad with directions. If we didn't know, she wouldn't know."

"Why don't we start looking for a phone or something?" Cassie asked. "This is a park; it's bound to have an emergency phone somewhere."

"Fine, you two find a phone, and I'll go and look for Ash," Maria turned from them. "We'll meet up with you later."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Like I said, It's probably just a joke," she huffed before disappearing into the trees.

"She won't make it back," her voice shook. "It won't let her. It took Ashleigh. It'll take her. And then us."

"Everything will be fine, Cassie," William smiled, holding out his arm. "Come on. Let's see if we can find that phone."

* * *

William stepped slowly into the small cabin, Cassie clutching his hand tightly in hers. Dead silence rang around them as he closed the door. He looked around the room after he switched the lantern on. He heard Cassie exhale after seeing that they were safe.

"Here," William handed her the lantern. "Hold this."

Her eyes grew wide in fear, "Where are you going?"

"Calm down," he smiled. "I'm just going to go look for a phone."

"Will…." He could hear the uncertainty still lingering in her voice.

"I won't leave you, Cass. I promise."

"You better not," she mumbled as he left the room.

Cassie turned the brightness on the lantern up, inspecting their haven. Judging by the couch and the fireplace, she guessed she was in the living room. The cushions on the couch were worn down, and the picture frames that were holding photos were now covered with a lining of dust.

Walking carefully over to a small table near her, she swept a hand across the glass of a frame, revealing a small family. There was a burly man with his arm around the shoulders of a small woman, who held a little boy. The father was laughing at his son as the child threw his teddy bear at the ground, making his mother laugh as well. Cassie couldn't help but smile.

As she was setting the picture down, her foot hit something under the table. She bent down and picked up a stuff animal. Upon closer inspection, she saw it was the same bear from the picture. She placed the bear next to the frame, her heart twisting. Had the creature ruined this family too?

She heard the creak coming from the porch, her breath stopping in her throat. It couldn't have found them already, could it? Quickly, she switched off the lantern and made her way to the kitchen, chills surged through her.

"Will?" she whispered. "William?"

"I'm here, Cassie," he spoke from a corner of the room.

"Where..."

"Pantry," came his barely-audible reply.

She tiptoed over the hidden cabinet and opened the door slowly. She sighed with relief when she saw William with his back pressed against the small wall. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her into the closed space and shutting the door.

"He's found us," William whispered.

"You don't think I noticed?" she hissed quietly. "You were just gonna leave me out there."

"No," he said softly. "I trusted you to find somewhere to hide until it moved on."

"Well, you know what?" she hissed again, but he placed his hand over her mouth at the sound of the front door opening.

He shook his head as a sign for her not to talk. She nodded in response and he moved his hand. Sounds of glass smashing reverberated though the cabin, making her jump. She knew it was the cause of it. Her escaping had made it angry. More glass smashed and something wooden clattered to the floor. Soft footsteps followed, growing louder as it came into the kitchen.

Cassie shut her eyes and buried her face in William's shoulder, clutching his shirt tight in her fingers. His arms wrapped around her protectively, holding her as close to himself as he could. Through the slits of the pantry door, he could see the silhouette of the creature in the dim moonlight spilling in the window. It was just as Cassie and Ashleigh described, tall and thin.

"What the…"

It turned its head, looking straight at the door. William could see faint hollows in its pale-skinned face where its eyes should be. Fear shot through him. Even though it didn't have eyes, it was still staring into his soul. It brought a pale hand forward, reaching for the doorknob. He held his breath.

Something thudded, and the creature disappeared from his line of sight. William counted to five and turned the doorknob, peeking out. There was no sign of him in the kitchen.

"Alright, Cassie," he whispered in her ear. "We need to leave. Now."

She nodded, and he stepped quietly out of the pantry, pulling her behind him. His eyes were locked on the entryway as he opened the backdoor. The hinges squealed as loud as they possibly could, alerting the creature that they were trying to escape again. It suddenly appeared in the doorway, watching Cassie. She stood, frozen in fear. It lunged for her with long tentacle-like arms, but missed her as William bolted out the door, jerking her behind him.

Cassie's head ached as they put distance between them and the cabin. Tears were running down her cheeks. Roots that had grown out of the ground tore at the legs of her jeans, trying to pull her down. It was almost as if they were working with it. She saw William fall, and she quickly turned to help him. But he was nowhere in sight.

"William?" she called out, on the verge of tears.

She was now all alone in the woods, something she never wanted to happen.

"Cassie," William's voice floated around her.

"Will?" she turned again, and saw it just a few paces away.

The creature's tentacles held William in their embrace. His eyes were lifeless and empty.

"No," she sniffled, shaking her head. "Will!" She fell to her knees sobbing.

They were gone, every person that meant something to her. Memories of seeing her mother hanging from the ceiling a year after her father's disappearance. The pain was unbearable for her mother.

The pain was unbearable for Cassie now. Her best friends were gone. She would never be able to tell William how she really felt, how she liked him.

"Take me," she looked up and saw it was closer now. "You took everyone else." She closed her eyes. "Just take me."

* * *

The cops didn't find them until late-morning. They searched everywhere for Maria and Ashleigh, but the two girls were nowhere to be found. Cassie and William, however, were placed strategically on a hiking path with eight small notes surrounding them. They were embracing each other, a content look on their faces.


End file.
